Sam Adams Griffin's Bow was my beer of choice this weekend. High ABV so it got the job done, and there was nearly no bitterness at all. Very sweet beer. It might just be my new favorite.

I just saw some Sam Adam's sampler 12 back, and I wasn't familiar with a single on of the beers (probably because I haven't drank or paid attention to SA in years as I grazed in smaller pastures). I may have to pick it up and try them out. Not sure if the Griffin's Bow was one of the beers or not.

And it appears that the Griffin's Bow is from their small batch (I've been seeing those some as well, but haven't tried any), which isn't what the 12-pack is from.

Here are the 12 pack offerings:
Boston Lager.
Alpine Spring.
Irish Red.
Mighty Oak Ale.
Black Lager.
Whitewater IPA.

I'm thinking more about making my own. Does anybody have any recommendations on a place to get the ingredients in Kansas City? Thanks.

Not many choices.

Homebrew Pro Shoppe

Bacchuss & Barleycorn

Thank you. I have heard of Bacchuss and Barleycorn, but not the other place, so I'm glad I asked. Any preference of the two places?

I used to go to Home Brew Pro Shoppe when they were located in Lee's Summit. They didn't have a huge selection, but it was adequate. I haven't been since they relocated to Olathe, but then I haven't brewed in 3 years or so. Never been to B&B.

You might compare their prices to some of the bigger online stores.

Not a big fan of New Belgium brews any longer... BUT

Was at store closet to my house to pick up a couple of essentials, and decided to avoid a second stop. Grabbed the best beer they had: New Belgium Shift Pale Lager.

I'm really enjoying it. I wouldn't call it complex, but it definitely has more going on than the majority of lagers that I've tried.

Fischer Amber

Firestone DBA

I've had a bunch of these in the last few weeks and I have to say, if you like hops, but want a hoppy session-type beer, this is for you. lots of citrus, really hoppy, all at a drinkable 5.2 ABV.

Personally, I found the can to be much better than the beer...

Our local beer blogger rated 8-Bit pretty high. I haven't tried it yet, though.
http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/201...-bit-pale-ale/
It’s All About the Beer: 8-Bit Pale Ale
By J.T. Wampler, Flyer contributor

This week’s beer: 8-Bit Pale Ale from Tallgrass Brewing Co. in Manhattan, Kan.

This ale comes in a 16-oz. can that features graphics in the style of a 1980′s video game.

It pours a hazy, light orange with a fluffy, white head. The aroma is of citrus, biscuit and tropical fruit.

The taste is bold and hoppy with a nice malt punch to back it up. A faint flavor of honey and bready malt rounds out the finish and makes for a nicely balanced drink.

Tallgrass Brewing makes several good beers and this is one of their best. It’s light on the tongue with great flavor and a crisp finish with just the right amount of bite to be super refreshing and keep you coming back for more. With canoe season in full swing, this would be a great beer to pick up on your way to the river.

The can says “Hop Rocketed Pale Ale” and they mean it. It has a mix of Magnum, Centennial, Cascade and Galaxy hops which should satisfy any hop-head, but it’s balanced enough to appeal to fans of classic pale ales.

Tallgrass hit a home run with this ale. Check out their website for information on other beers from the brewery as well as their canifesto on why they don’t use bottles.

This beer is available in the Northwest Arkansas area.

Pair with hot wings or spicy Mexican food.

Rating 4.5/5

Any beer is good with hot wings and Mexican food

It's tasty, but if you're not expecting a hop bomb type of beer, you'll be a little surprised for the amount of hoppiness you get from a beer at 5.2 ABV. Lots of grapefruit citrus goodness both in the nose and on the palate.

Agreed. He always does a food pairing in his reviews, though.